Skenes’ Slump: Is the Pirates’ downturn on defense, coaching, or the pitcher himself?
Noah Hiles analyzes why Pirates ace Paul Skenes has cooled after a brilliant start to 2026, exploring whether the team’s poor defensive support, recent coaching changes (Marin out, Murphy in), or Skenes’ own adjustments to velocity and pitches (splinker, curve, sinker) explain the slide. With the defense posting the worst fielding value in the NL and clutch metrics slipping, the Pirates need Skenes to rebound, while improvements from defense and coaching could help—yet the ball is ultimately in Skenes’ court to regain his elite form.